Browning offers full-size safes with a separate compartment for handgun storage.

If you own a handgun, you need a safe. Storing your gun in a dresser drawer, closet or on a high shelf won't do, particularly if children are in the home. The only certain way to protect guns from curious sons and daughters, neighborhood children, fire and light-fingered thieves is to buy a sturdy, combination-lockable safe designed specifically for the job.

Key-locking safes and inexpensive trigger locks are better than nothing, but keys have a way of getting lost--or found by an inquisitive child. Many keyholes are surprisingly easy to pick. Combination locks or electronic keypads are clearly the best way to go.

Losing a gun to fire or theft isn't the only potential problem you face. Years ago, California pioneered legislation making gun owners criminally liable for death, injury or property damage--intentional or otherwise--caused by firearms not properly secured that found their way into the hands of a child or irresponsible adult. In addition to the guilt you'd undoubtedly feel if a gun you owned injured or killed a neighbor--or a member of your own family--you would be subject to stiff fines and possible imprisonment. Most states have passed or are considering similar laws.

You can't afford a safe? Then you probably can't afford that new handgun you just bought. Federal legislation now mandates including a locking device with every new firearm sold. While this is a step in the right direction, such devices--which typically feature some kind of armored wire threaded through the action and possibly the bore--are easily misplaced or forgotten. With a little effort and the right tools, most of these inexpensive locks are easy to dismantle or destroy.

This Secure Logic safe mounts in the wall and offers rapid access.

Many manufacturers now install integral locks on the handguns they sell. While these built-in locks are fine in theory, in my experience almost no one bothers using them--at least not after their novelty has worn off. They also make the gun useless if you have a sudden need for self-defense and can't locate the key.

This Smith & Wesson pistol case is manufactured by American Security.

Handgun owners can choose from six basic levels of security. The lowest--and by far the least expensive or desirable--is the internal or external lock manufacturers supply free of additional charge. A step up from this is the Child Guard CS100--an extremely robust safety device featuring a patented design that positively withstands tampering. Using pliers, a large screwdriver, hacksaw and hammer, I tried--hard--to break one of these locks open. It resisted my best efforts. The Child Guard lock delivers a high degree of safety at a reasonable $29.95 price.

In addition to offering minimal security, inexpensive handgun locks won't prevent your gun from being stolen. Thieves can simply take the gun home, then take their time getting rid of the lock. Once again there's the problem of finding the key in time to keep intruders at bay.

The next step up in security is a simple metal box with a combination lock. These boxes are portable, although some have mounting brackets for installation underneath a desk or alongside your bed. I keep a V-Line case containing a LaserGrip-equipped 1911 handy in a dresser drawer. While it won't prevent theft, the box keeps my home-defense gun out of the hands of visiting grandchildren. It provides the same security on family road trips. The mechanical five-button lock takes only seconds to open if someone invades my home.